Golf: Spectacular victory for Campbell

PORTMARNOCK - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell ended a 13-month drought with a spectacular play-off victory in the Irish Open yesterday.

Campbell, Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Sweden's Peter Hedblom went into a sudden-death playoff for the title following their 11-under-par 277 deadlock after four rounds.

Campbell pulled off the shot of the tournament on the extra hole, the 18th, to win a sixth European Tour title.

He hit a nine-iron second shot 146 yards to just inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie.

Both Bjorn and Hedblom missed their birdie attempts, allowing Campbell to claim the $595,700 first prize.

He raised his arms in the air in delight before pointing his putter at his parents, Tom and Maria, in the gallery.

"It sounds great to be the Irish Open champion and it's been a long time between drinks. Finally I've cracked one," he beamed. "My parents saw me win in New Zealand and though they're heading home on Tuesday, it was just fantastic they could be present here to see this victory.

"Funnily enough, I changed my schedule the week before the British Open to include the Irish Open. I was going to take this week and next week off, but my manager Andrew Ramsey and my caddy Michael Waite convinced me to play and stay focused on the European Tour."

Only a month ago Campbell decided to end a disastrous six-month spell on the US Tour. He was at his wits end having failed to make the cut in the nine events he entered in the US. He also lost in the first round of the WGC matchplay tournament. His biggest embarrassment during that period was carding a horror 89 on the first day of the Players Championship at Jacksonville in Florida.

"The hardest thing was spending 12 weeks on the road. Never again," he said.

Since returning to Europe, Campbell managed to make all four cuts, including last week's British Open.

Campbell began the closing round tied for the lead at 10-under-par with Bjorn and England's David Lynn.

He fell off the pace when he dropped a shot at the second hole, but after a third straight par at the fifth, he was among four players tied for the lead at nine under.

He then regained the initiative with a birdie and Sweden's Robert Karlsson, playing two groups ahead, birdied the eighth to join him at 10 under.

Campbell became the first player to go to 11 under when he holed a 20-foot birdie putt from off the green and went further ahead with another birdie at the 10th.

That gave him a two-shot cushion which was short-lived when he found a fairway bunker with his drive down the par-four 11th and then watched in amazement when his second caught the lip of the bunker and landed back at his feet.

He finally splashed out and then played a superb chip shot to less than a yard for a bogey.

Unfortunately, Campbell could not find any birdies over his remaining seven holes, finishing with a 71.

Campbell will head to Sweden this week for the Scandinavian Masters, and has set his mind on winning a place in November's President's Cup in South Africa.

He is lying just outside the top 10 who will qualify for the Gary Player-led International Team.

Greg Turner, the other New Zealand player left in the Irish Open, carded a final round 72 for a 283 total and a tie for 9th place, six shots behind Campbell.

- NZPA